


You're Getting Blood On My Bed

by comic_history_magic_nerd



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angry Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Angst, Arthur Finds Out About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Based on a Tumblr Post, Boys Kissing, Camelot, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), M/M, Magic Revealed, Merlin is a Little Shit, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Pining Arthur, Pining Merlin (Merlin), Prince Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:27:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25700581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comic_history_magic_nerd/pseuds/comic_history_magic_nerd
Summary: “Hey, Arthur.”“You’re getting blood on my bed.”“…That’s it? No asking where I’ve been for the past 3 months?”“Well, you’re back, aren’t you? And you’re getting blood on my bed. Go to the chair or get on the floor, I don’t care.”Or: Merlin disappeared right after Arthur confessed his love and comes back three months later bleeding out on Arthur's bed. How will Arthur react? Will Merlin finally tell Arthur all his secrets?
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 482





	You're Getting Blood On My Bed

**Author's Note:**

> I saw this prompt on Tumblr and automatically thought of Merthur. 
> 
> Please excuse any grammatical errors, I suck at proof reading.

“Hey, Arthur.”

The Prince stopped just in the doorway to his chambers. His eyes falling to the dark haired figure laying in his bed. 

Arthur let his chamber’s door close while he decided whether to laugh, scream, or run. 

“You’re getting blood on my bed.” Well that wasn’t what he meant to say. 

“...That’s it? No asking where I’ve been for the past three months?” Merlin lifted his head off the pillow and tried to force himself into a seated position, but the wound in his abdomen wouldn’t allow it so he flopped back down in pain.

Arthur finally walked further into his chambers, as if everything was totally normal. Like Merlin wasn’t bleeding out, like Merlin hadn’t disappeared three months ago without a trace.

He began undressing, putting his sword down on the table and removing his dirty practise armor.

“Well, you’re back aren’t you? And you’re getting blood on my bed. You’re the one that’s going to have to clean that up, so you should really move to the chair or the floor, I don’t care which.”

As usual, Arthur feigned indifference, but Merlin knew him. He spotted the Prince’s hands shaking and the tick in his jaw. 

“Oh, so I still work for you. I guess that’s good.” Merlin mumbled to himself, getting a grunt in response from Arthur.

After a few moments of silence, the only sound in the room being Merlin’s labored breathing and the crackling fire, Arthur appeared from behind the privacy screen in a clean tunic and stopped to stare at Merlin, who had finally been able to sit up properly.

“Arthur…” He whispered the name like a prayer, like an apology, like it was the only word that mattered.

“Don’t, Merlin.” Arthur snapped out of his thoughts. All the pity and concern lost and replaced with anger and betrayal. “You left me. I came back from dinner that night and you were gone. I searched the castle, the woods, every bloody tavern in Camelot, and you were nowhere. I thought something happened, I thought you might be dead or dying.”

“Well I have been stabbed.” Now Merlin was trying to defuse the tension a bit, but Arthur wasn’t having it. “I know and I’m sorry. There were things I needed to take care of, it couldn’t be helped.”

“Things that got you stabbed.”

“Something like that.”

“Things you couldn’t tell me about.”

“I couldn’t, not yet, but I wanted to I promi–”

“I am done with your promises!” Arthur roared. He’s never sounded so much like his father. Merlin jerked, flinching away from him with a low whine from the pain of it. “You promised me that there were no more secrets. You promised to tell me everything and then you left. Is trusting me really that terrifying?”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Merlin couldn’t meet Arthur’s eyes. 

“Stop it! Stop apologising!” Arthur ran his hand through his hair, pulling at the blonde strands to ground himself. He was breathing heavy and starting pace, he didn’t notice Merlin clutch his wound tightly and scoot to the edge of the bed until the younger man tried to stand and almost collapsed.

Arthur caught him, holding him up by his elbows, finally standing face to face with his friend for the first time in three months. 

“I should go get Gaius.” Arthur whispered, having calmed down significantly, finally noticing how pale and weak Merlin looked.

“No, please. I’ll be okay I pr–” He cut himself off this time. “It’s really not that bad. I’m just tired.”

Arthur lifted him back onto the bed, slowly letting his head fall onto the pillow and pushing the dark hair out of his face. The anxiety that had been making him sick for three months was right on the surface threatening to bubble over.

“It looks worse than it is. Some of this blood isn’t even mine.”

“Merlin, what the hell did you get yourself into?” Arthur shook his head in defeat. How could he protect him if he insisted on getting himself into trouble?

“I will keep my promise. I will tell you everything. No more lies.” Merlin's voice deepened with the weight of his swear. Arthur noticed the hint of fear in his eyes, the same look he had three months ago, right before he left. But there was something else now too, determination maybe? Because this was it, Merlin had nothing left to lose. If he didn’t come clean now then he would definitely lose Arthur. If he kept his promise and told him everything then he would only probably lose Arthur. 

“We don’t have to do this now. You need to rest.” 

“No, I need to get it out before I have more time to think.” Merlin laughed at his own cowardice, but that only scared Arthur more. Merlin was the bravest person the prince had ever met, if he was scared then Arthur had cause to be worried.

“Arthur, that night... before you left for dinner... when you–when we–”

“Kissed.” Arthur finished for him. “I kissed you and I told you I loved you. You had yelled at me for flinging my things around and I couldn’t hold it back anymore. You called me a prat and I called you the love of my life and I grabbed you and I kissed you.”

A laugh, or a sob, or something in between, shook through Merlin’s chest. Arthur was stroking his dark hair, flattening it to his head, while Merlin used his bloodied hand to grab at Arthur’s clean shirt and force the prince’s forehead down to his.

“Yes.” Tears spilled out of the corners of his eyes and Arthur wiped them away and smiled fondly at the memory. When for a few blissful seconds Arthur thought everything would be okay. The world had seemed so simple while his lips were on Merlin’s. “When you kissed me, when you told me how you felt, I realised how stupid I’d been. Arthur, you have to believe that I love you, so much. My life is yours, my heart is yours. I am nothing without you.”

“Don’t say that, you’re everything.”

“No, please Arthur, please just listen. I am yours. Before I loved you, before we even met. I have always been yours.” Arthur’s brow pinched together in confusion. “I’m messing this up terribly. Okay, that night when I pulled away, I told you that I love you too but that I’ve been keeping things from you and you–”

“That I couldn’t possibly love you until I knew the truth. Yeah, I remember, it was terribly rude of you. I’ve always known you kept secrets and I’ve never minded. You’re not exactly smooth, Merlin.” Arthur tried to make light of the situation that had been ripping his heart to pieces for months.

“I’m right though! Arthur I’m going to tell you like I promised but you need to swear you won’t jump to conclusions. I’ve never betrayed you, I’m yours, please remember that.” 

There were no words now, Arthur could only nod.

Merlin looked at the palm of his hand, which he had raised off of Arthur’s now bloodied tunic. Arthur’s eyes flicked between his friend’s face and his hand. Before Merlin’s eyes even changed to gold, before the globe of light had time to materialize in Merlin’s hand, Arthur understood. He understood the fear and the hesitancy. Merlin’s secrets, the sneaking around, his ridiculous luck, his willingness to ride into battle without a single weapon.

Merlin had magic.

“I was born with it. I can’t help it, I didn’t choose this, I swear.” He closed his palm and the light disappeared. 

Arthur’s gaze trailed back over to Merlin’s face. His stare was empty and hollow, confused and unsure. He mumbled something too quiet for Merlin to make out.

“What?” Merlin inquired breathlessly. His throat constricted out of pure fear. Was this it? Had he just lost his best friend, the love of his life, his prince, his future king, his everything, all at once.

Arthur’s gaze fell, his brow creased together, breathing heavy, his focus completely trained on Merlin’s chest where Arthur’s hand had come to in search of his heartbeat to make sure this was real.

“It’s– Merlin?” His eyes flew back up to Merlin’s, suddenly perfectly clear, a smile spreading over his face. He had been uncertain about so much but in the few short seconds he’d taken to process it all clicked. “Merlin, it’s okay.”

They pulled each other into a desperate hug. Merlin trying to process what was happening, trying to follow Arthur’s train of thought. While Arthur was trying to catch up to his own mind, mumbling into Merlin’s throat that everything would be okay and laughing. Actually laughing.

By the time they separated, both their eyes had dried, some color had returned to Merlin’s face. 

His goofy smile was back too, the one that Arthur loved so much. His thumb came up to trace Merlin’s bottom lip, trying to capture the joy and relief Merlin must feel right now.

And then he realized he could. And lurched forward, attacking Merlin with a deep and desperate kiss. Trying to poor all his love into it, trying to erase any lingering doubt Merlin might have. Because now he knew everything, Merlin had finally trusted him with his darkest secret.

As Arthur pushed harder against his love, Merlin let out a groan that was in pain instead of pleasure. Reminding Arthur that his idiot manservant was injured. That he had been gone for the last three months. That Arthur most definitely did not know everything. So, he jolted back, retreating as his familiar anxiety returned.

“Merlin, where the fuck have you been?” Merlin looked absolutely wrecked, barely able to process that Arthur’s lips had left his. “Merlin, you’ve been gone for three months. You just showed up, bleeding in my bedroom after three months of me thinking you the worst could have happened. Where have you been?”

“Oh, it’s kind of embarrassing.” 

“Well, that’s nothing new for you.”

“Hey! I could turn you into a toad you know! I’m a very powerful warlock, you do not want to mess with me.”

“Yeah? Then how did my very powerful warlock end up missing for months and bleeding out in his prince’s chambers?” Arthur was enjoying being able to banter with Merlin again, he almost didn’t mind that he was avoiding the topic at hand.

Merlin’s mind, however, was entirely elsewhere.

“Your warlock?” His eyes were glassy and wide.

“What?”

“You called me your warlock.”

“Yes, you idiot!” And the goofy smile was back. Arthur would do anything to keep that smile on his warlock’s face for the rest of forever. “Ugh, stop distracting me! Where have you been?”

“I– well– what happened was– um– you see–”  
“Merlin.” Arthur said pointedly.

“I was overwhelmed!” Merlin finally shouted. “You kissed me, you told me you loved me, and I should have been the happiest man in the world but all I could think about was how I’ve spent years lying to you and the dragon never mentioned us getting to be together, so what if this ruined everything! What if I was threatening the world you’re meant to create! What if I was betraying my destiny! And I had promised to tell you everything, but what if you hated me and had me executed or banished! How was I going to protect you if I’m dead or if I’m gone?”

“Merlin, calm down! You need to breathe.” Arthur's head was spinning. Destiny? Dragons? 

“I went to the druids.” He said slower. “I should have been back in an hour or two, I just wanted to ask if we were allowed this. If they knew if we could have this. But my magic went haywire, I started disappearing and reappearing places. Next thing I know I’m in the middle of the forest somewhere. It took me forever to find any kind of civilization, I was in a kingdom I'd never even heard of, and it all went downhill from there.”

“Your magic zipping you around the forest wasn’t the worst of it?”

“You do see the stab wound right?” Merlin rolled his eyes.

“Sorry, continue.”

“The village I came to first had a bit of a monster problem and I ended up having to handle it, I got kidnapped by some witch hunters for using magic to defeat the beast, I got out pretty quickly but they brought me even further from home. After that I was just constantly walking home and running into bandits or monsters or whatever decided to attack me, really Arthur your kingdom and your neighbors need to do a better job with patrols. By the time I found a druid camp I realized that I had to tell you everything, that I had no choice anymore. I love you, and I couldn’t lie to you for another day.”

Arthur kissed him lightly and then pulled back for Merlin to finish. And when Merlin didn’t continue, Arthur rolled his eyes and huffed.

“Merlin… how did you get stabbed?” A flush of red quickly rose up Merlin’s neck and cheeks. 

“I– ugh, it’s so dumb, I was being so dumb, it’s all my fault.”

“I never thought otherwise, but please continue.”

“I was nearing Camelot, only an hour outside the citadel, and I was trying to figure out what to say to you. I might have been talking to myself a bit, rehearsing a little, and I wasn’t exactly paying attention.” Arthur was waiting more patiently then he’s ever done for anything. “I was attacked by a boy.”

“A boy?”

“He was very large though! And freakishly strong!”

Arthur was belly laughing now. Double over and laughing hysterically. Merlin had zapped himself into the middle of the woods, defeated magical beasts, witch hunters, bandits, and all manner of creatures for months while he wandered home. And was injured by a boy.

“Don’t laugh at me! He could have killed me!”

“The boy, the child, could have killed you!” Arthur only laughed harder. “I thought you said you’re a very powerful warlock.”

“Well, he caught me by surprise clearly! He threw a rock at me out of nowhere and I tripped and there was a branch sticking up and– well– stab.”

Arthur threw his head back once again in hysterics. He pushed himself over Merlin’s body so he was sitting next to him on the bed and pulled him into his side, now softly chuckling as he leaned down to kiss Merlin’s dramatic pout. 

“Oh Merlin, and to think I was worried you’d be different now that I knew about your ‘very powerful’ magic, but you’re still just an idiot aren’t you.”

“Shut up.” Merlin mumbled, rolling over to hide his still red face into Arthur’s neck. 

They lay there cuddling, eventually kissing and exploring each other, Arthur fussing over Merlin’s wounds and absolutely refusing to get up, for nearly two days.

Merlin promised to never lie or hide something from him again. Arthur promised to lift the ban on magic once he was king. 

And Merlin did eventually have to clean up the blood stains on Arthur’s bed.

**Author's Note:**

> And they all lived happily ever after!


End file.
